Filling machine



L. DE MARKUS FILLING MACHINE Dec. 25, 1934.

Filed May 8. 1931 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Dec. 2 1934. 1.. DE MARKUS1,985,767 FILLING MACHINE I iled May 8, 931 7 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTORKw x Dec 25, 1934. MARKUS 1,985,767

FILLING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1951 7 sheetssheet 3 INVENTOR Dec. 25,1934. A 1,985,767

FILLING MACHINE Filed May 8 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 25, 1934.

| DE MARKUS FILLING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORNMN NhN Ln? \Mulum Dec. 25, 1934. I L. DE MARKUS FILLING MACHINE 7Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 8, 1931 INVENTOR Lw' m. Mm,

wggmm yma- M L. DE MARKUS FiLLINc- MACHINE Dec. 25, 1934.

Filed May 8,. 1931 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 l gg l l Patented Doc. 25, 1934 Q1,985,767

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mama moms Louis De Markus, Pittsburgh, Pa.,assignor to McKenna Brass & Manufacturing Company, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pain corporation of Pennsyl- Application May 8, 1931, Serial No. 535,882

20 Claims. (01. 226-98) This invention relates to filling machines andit were not for the initial small amount of foam is herein particularlydescribed as applied to the put into the bottle by the application ofcounterbottling of carbonated beverages. pressure; Broadly stated, Iprovidefor keeping One of the great problems in soft drink botthecounter-pressure tube free of foam or water tling is that of foaming. Alarge number of at the time of insertion thereof into the container 5factors enter into this problem and attempts have to be filled. Morespecifically, I prefer to momenbeen made to solve it in various ways. Ihave, tarily open the counter-pressure valve prior to however,discovered a fruitful cause of foaming the insertion of a bottle in thehead so as to blow which has heretofore been unappreciated, and by o anycontained liquid therein. However, the

overcoming it am able to materially improve fillsame result may beobtained by employing check 10 ing conditions. m such as a ball float,which prevents the In modern filling machines provision is made liquidfrom initially entering the tube. for supplying an initialpressure-commonly Heretofore filling machines have been con.. termed thecounter-pressure-within the bottle structed so that there is a materialtime lapse prior to filling, and for maintaining such pressure afterfilling before the bottle is removed from the 15 throughout the fillingoperation. It is also comhead. This is particularly true in the case ofmen practice in machines of this character to large bottles, such asquarts. Assuming the rely on gravity alone to cause the flow of liquidusual construction wherein the filling heads from the liquid containerof the machine to the travel in a circular path, approximately 315debottles. The counter-pressure tube is generally grees of thecircumference may be utilized for 20 inserted in the bottle so that asthe liquid level bottle travel, the remaining 45 degrees being emrisestherein the opening of the counter-pressure ployed for the feeding anddischarging. During tube becomes submerged. A quantity of gas is this315 degrees of travel it is necessary to raise thus trapped in the neckof the bottle and flow the filling head to filling position, fill thebottles,

ceases. In this manner the filling height is conlower them to the properelevation for discharge, 25 trolled independently of the exact timeperiod. and snift the top pressure. Usually the bottles Nevertheless,while the filling is not determined are lowered about 90 degrees ofrotation prior by the filling time, it is essential that the mato theirdischarge. This distance is necessary chine be operated sufiicientlyslowly so that the with small bottles because a proper snifting timeliquid has enough time to fill the bottle by reason must be provided.However, in the case of large 30 of gravity flow. After the bottle isfilled, it is bottles the speed of the machine must be reduced necessaryto relieve the top pressure by shifting in order to get suflicientfilling time. This means before removing the bottle from the fillinghead. that an undue length of time is iv n f r nift- If snifting is notcarefully controlled there is ing. The total amount of gas to be snifteddoes danger of the bottle foaming at the moment that not vary materiallyfor bottles of different capac- 35 the top pressure is released. Iovercome this by ity. I therefore provide for adjusting the point anovel form of snift. in the orbital path of the bottle where sniftingHowever, I have found that a large amount of occurs, and, coupling thiswith the provision of the foaming is caused by water getting into the avariable speed drive, am able to utilize a mate- 40 counter-pressuretube. As above stated, the ly larger Portion of the Orbital P Of t e 0lower end of this tube becomes submerged tobottles for filling, and tocut down the length ward the completion of a filling step. Because ofsuch path for shifting, on large bottles. With of limitations of space,the tube is always small, small bottles a, proportionately smaller partof and capillarity alone is sufficient to retain a the path will beutilized for filling, but with the small amount of water within the tubeafter the larger sizes this may be materially increased. I 45 bottle hasbeen removed from the head. As the am thereby enab ed to Operate themachine at head continues its movement, another bottle is a speed forlarge size bottles which, although supplied, the counter-pressure valveis opened, not so great as the sp ed mp f Smaller and gas flows throughthe counter-pressure tube Si s Still mat a y greater than the Speedsinto the empty bottle. In so doing it make a, heretofore possible. Thisgreatly increases the 50 foam of the liquid within the tube and blowsthis capacity of the machine. This aspect of my infoam into the bottle.Even though such foam vention is particularly valuable in connection maybe very small in amount, its presence is with the improved snift andother features hereconducive to foaming of the entering water, inafterdescribed.

even though such water would. fill foam free if In the accompanyingdrawings illustrating a 66 present preferred embodiment of theinvention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing a fillingmachine;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the machine taken from the oppositeside;

Figure 3 is a diagram of the drive;

Figure '4 is a central vertical section of the upper portion of themachine;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section of a detail of the machine showing therelease mechanism for permitting lowering of the bottle supports;

Figure 6 is a vertical section to reduced scale showing the apparatus ofFigure 5;

Figure 7 is a vertical section through one of the filling heads; (In theupper part of this view there are shown two ball-retaining caps. As tothese caps, the section is on the lines VIIw-VIIa of Figure 9 andVIIb-VIIb of Figure 10.)

Figure 8 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the fillinghead, the section being taken at right angles to the section of Figure'7;

Figures 9 and 10 are bottom views of ballretaining caps illustrated inFigure '7;

Figure 11 is a top plan view of one of the pieces of the filling head;

Figure 12 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a portion of themachine showing the means for clearing the counter-pressure tube offiuid;

Figure 13 is a section taken on the line 'XHIXIII of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a similar view, but showing the parts in differentposition; and

Figure 15 is a view corresponding to a portion of Figure '7, but showinga modification.

The filling machine illustrated in the drawings comprises a base 2supporting the filling machine proper, this being indicated generally bythe reference character 3, a housing 4 for the motor drive, a syrupingunit 5, a crowning unit 6, and the usual conveying mechanism forsupplying and taking away bottles to be filled. In Figures 1 and 2 Ihave illustrated a feeding conveyor '7 and an accumulator table 8 forfilled bottles.

Referring to Figure 4, there is shown a standard 9 carrying a rotatabletable 10. The table 10 runs on a'roller bearing 11 and is held againstaxial displacement by such bearing and by outboard bearings 12. Theseoutboard bearings are the subject matter of my copending applicationSerial No. 535,883, filed May 8, 1931. The table carries a gear 13 which(Figure 3) meshes with an intermediate gear 14 connected to a drivingpinion 15. The driving pinion 15 is carried on a shaft 16 carrying astar wheel 1'7 for feeding bottles to bottle holders 18 carried by thetable 10 and for taking off the bottles after they have been filled. Theshaft 16 carries a worm wheel 16' meshing with a worm 19 on a shaft 20.The shaft .20 carries a gear 21 meshing with a pinion 22 on a shaft 23.The shaft 23 is the driven shaft of a variable speed coupling 24 of thewell-known Reeves type. This coupling is driven from a motor 25 througha chain belt 26. The speed of the filling'machine is controlled by ahand wheel 2'7 which effects adjustment of the Reeves coupling.

The gear 21 also meshes with a gear 28 on a shaft 29, which shaftcarries worms 30 and 31. The worm 30 meshes with a worm wheel 32 whichdrives a pocketed feed wheel 33 for the syruping mechanism 5. The worm31 meshes with a worm wheel 34 which drives a S milar pocketed feedwheel 35 for the crowning mechanism 6. In Figure 3 these wheels areshown out of their normal position for clarity of illustration. However,the general type of feed mechanism which I employ is well known andrequires no detailed description.

'Referring again to Figure 4, there is shown a barrel 36 extendingupwardly from the table 10, this barrel telescoping with a sleeve 37,forming part of a bonnet indicated generally by the reference character38. A key 39 is provided, the keyway in the sleeve 3'7 being elongatedso that the bonnet may be adjusted vertically with respect to the table10, although forced to rotate therewith. The table 10 is formed with anaxial opening through which extends a sleeve 40 having screw threads 41formed therein. An inner sleeve 42 carrying cooperating threads 43 lieswithin the sleeve 40. The outer sleeve 40 is fixed in the standard 9;while the inner sleeve 42 extends downwardly there-through, and makes aspline connection with a worm wheel 44 meshing with a worm 45; The worm45 is rotatable by a handcrank 46 (see Figure 2) and rotation thereof iseffective for raising or lowering the bonnet 38 with respect to thetable 10. When the handcrank 46 is turned the worm-wheel 44 is rotated,thus causing rotation of the inner sleeve 42 in one direction or theother, and causing the same to thread upwardly or downwardly through thethreads of the sleeve 40. A radial thrust hearing 47 connects the innersleeve 42 with the upper portion of the sleeve 3'7 of the bonnet 38.

A water tank 48 is carried on top of the bonnet 38. It is suppliedthrough a tube 49 extending upwardly within the sleeve 42 and through apacking gland 50. As the bonnet is raised or lowered the tube 49projects a greater or less distance into the water tank. Conduits 51lead from the water tank 48 to each of the filling heads of the machine.These filling heads are spaced equally around the bonnet 38 and areindicated generally by the reference character 52. Each filling headalso is connected through a tube 53 to the upper portion of the watertank 48. The tubes 53 constitute the source of gaseous counter-pressurefor their several heads. The supply of gas and liquid to the water tank48 is controlled by a valve 54 operating through mechanism well known inthe art.

In the operation of a machine of this character the bottles are fed tothe bottle holders 10' and the bottle holders are then raised to bringthe bottles into operative engagement with the filling heads. Duringfilling the bottles are held in elevated position, as shown in Figure 4,and after the filling has been completed the bottle holders are loweredso as to permit of discharging the filled bottles. The bottle elevatingand lowering mechanism is best shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5.

The table 10'between its upper and lower portions carries paired rods 55which support slides 56 carrying the bottle holders 10. Each slide 56 isprovided with a cam roller 5'7. During the time of discharging andreceiving bottles the rollers 5'7 run on a cam track 58. This cam trackis divided into two portions; and in Fig. 2 there is shown an elevatingportion 59 which raises the slides 56 and brings the bottles intoengagement with the heads. The bottle holders proper are slidablymounted on bases 60 carried by the slides 56 and are urged upwardly bysprings 61. This provision is made to eliminate choke and to take careof the usual variations in bottle height.

When changing from one size bottle to another' tion. This is done bymounting on one of each pair of rods 55 an arm 62 (see Figures 5 and 6),which arm has an upwardly extending finger 63. Each arm also has aspring-pressed plunger 64 bearing against a flange 65 on the table 10effective for biasing the arms to the position shown at the bottom ofFigure 5. The elevating portion 59 of the cam track 58 raises each slide56 in turn to a point where the arm 62 may be rotated by the bullet 64so as to move the finger 63 beneath the slide, thus locking the bottleholder in elevated position. After the filling operation, the bottleholders must be lowered and it is necessary to rotate the arms 63 in acounter-clockwise direction so as to move the fingers 63 from undertheir corresponding slides. .This is done by means of cam rollers 66 oneach of the arms 62 and a cam plate 67. The cam plate 6'7 is secured tothe base 2 by screws 68, and the base is drilled at diflerent pointsalong the cam track 58 (see Figure 1) so that the cam plate 6'7 may beplaced in different positions for reasons hereinafter described. The camplate 67 also has a cam face 69 extending downwardly to the cam track58. The peak '70 of the cam face 69 is of sufilcient height to engagethe rollers 57 and raise the slides 56 very slightly above the normalhigh point as determined by the fingers 63. This slight elevation occursjust prior to the time that the corresponding cam rollers 66 engage thecam plate 6'7. As a consequence, all sliding friction between the finger63 andthe bottom of the slide 56 at the time the finger is moved out ofthe way to permit lowering is eliminated. After the arm 62 has beenmoved to the position shown in the upper portion of Figure'5, the-headis free to be lowered and the rate of lowering is determined by the camface 69.

The head mechanism is illustrated. in Figures '7 to 14 inclusive. Thebonnet 38 is provided at its outer edge with a flange '71 to whichcastings '72 forming the main portions of the heads 52 are secured bybolts '73. The water conduit 51 terminates in an opening '74 and the gasconduit 53 terminates at '75. The opening '74 leads to an annulus '76formed in a'cap 7'7 screwed in the casting '72. The cap is shown inbottom view in Figure 9. It is centrally bored at 78 and holes '79connect the central bore '78 with the annulus 76. A ball-check valve 80lies in the central opening '78 and a seat 81 is provided therefor.Beyond theball seat 81 a passage 82 extends radially and then downwardlywithin the cap 7'7 to terminate at 83 in a valve chamber 84. The valve85 bears against a seat formed in the casting 72 and is normally heldagainst the seat by a spring 86. The spring is carried by a plug 87screwed in the cap '77, which plug also serves to retain the ball 80 inthe central opening '78 and seal off such opening from the valve chamber84. To reach the valve 85 water must flow from the opening '74 to theannulus '76, thence through the openings '79 to the ball chamber andthence through the passage 82. The function of the ball 80 is to preventan excessive rate of liquid fiow. Under ordinary circumstancesthe ballremains in the position shown. but in the event of a burst bottle orsome other untoward happening causing the water to tend to fiow veryrapidly, the ball moves upwardly by reason oi the increased rate of fiowagainst the seat 81 and cuts off the further flow ofwater.

The valve 85 has a stem 88 extending through a packing 89. When thevalve is open water is free to fiowthrough a cross passage 90 to anopening 91 in the casting '72. The casting is bored to receive a block92 carrying a filling tube 93. The block 92 is held in position by asleeve 9 94 threaded over a bom 95 on the casting '72. When the sleeve94 is screwed in place it communicates its pressure through a flangedfitting 96 to the block 92. The block isprovided with a short tube 9'7which extends into the opening 91. Gaskets are provided above and belowthe block 92, as shown, so that when the sleeve 94 is screwed into placea non-leaking water passage is provided from the valve chamber 84 to theoutlet opening 98'of the filling tube. 1

The sleeve 94' carries a slide 99, the downward movement of which islimited by a flange 100 on the sleeve 94. The slide 99 is threaded toreceive a plug 101 bearing against a compression spring 102 within thesleeve 94 and the slide 99. This spring normally urges the slidedownwardly to the position shown. The plug 101 is counter-bored toreceive a shell 103 within which is a block 104 carrying a packing 105and a sealing rubber 106 adapted to engage the lip of a bottle B. Theblock 104 is'held in place by a bottle guide 107 and a sleeve 108extending around the bottom portion and the slide 99 is dropped over theseveral parts so as to hold them against rotation.

When a bottle holder carrying an empty bottle is raised by the elevatingcam 59, it moves the bottle B up to the head until the lip engages thesealing rubber 106. Continued elevation of the bottle holder causes thebottle to raise the slide 99 against ,the resistance of the spring 102.This upward movement of the slide 99 is utilized for actuating the watervalve as well as the other valves within the head. 7

Prior to the opening of the water valve it is desirable to place theinterior of the bottle under pressure. This is done by supplying gasfrom theconduit 53 which, as above stated, terminates in the head at'75. The opening '75 communicates with an annulus 109 in a cap 110 whichis shown in bottom view in Figure 10. Radial openings 111 lead to acentral chamber 112 containing a ball 113. A ball seat 114 is formed atthe top of the chamber 112, and beyond it there is a passage 115extending radially and then downwardly to a valve chamber 116. The ballis held in place by a plug 117, which plug supports the spring 118 for acounter-pressure valve 119. The counter-pressure valve has a stem 120extending through a packing 121. The plug 117 is drilled at 122 so as toprovide a passage direct from the ball chamber 112 to the valve chamber116. The function of the ball 113 is analogous to that of the ball 80,namely, to check the flow of gas in the event of a broken or chippedbottle, but provision must be made to by-pass the gas around this ballcheck at the time of filling the bottle with counter-pressure gas.because a large rush of gas occurs at the instant the valve 119 isopened. Such a gas rush is necessary if counter-pressure is to be builtup rapidly. Consequently, when the valve 119 is opened the gas fiowsthrough the passage 122 into the valve chamber 116. However, the valve119 carries a stem 123 which projects into the passage 122. The upperportion of the stem is of reduced area but the lower portion is of thesame size as the passage 122 so that when the valve 119 is in process ofopening gas is free to flow through the passage 122, but when the valve119 is fully opened, the passage 122 is choked off by the stem 123. g

Gas flowing past the valve119 enters a passage 124 communicating with acounter-pressure tube 125. The counter-pressure tube lies within thewater tube 93 and terminates at 12.6.

The stem of the counter-pressure valve terminates. in a recess formed inan arm 127, which arm is carried by a slide 128 (Figure 13). The bottomof the arm 127 is at a lower level than the bottom of the stem 88 of thewater valve and therefore when the slide 99 is raised, thecounterpressure valve is opened before the water valve. Aftercounter-pressure has been built up in the bottle and the water valve hasbeen opened, water flows past the water valve and through the water tube93 to the bottle. It will be understood that the counter-pressure withinthe bottle is equal to thepressure on top of the water in the waterchamber 48, and therefore the water fiow will be occasioned by gravityalone. So long as the opening 126 remains uncovered there is freegaseous communication between .the space above the water in the bottleand thespace above the water in the water chamber 48, but as soon as theopening 126 is submerged this communication is cut off and a smallquantity of gas is trapped in the neck of the bottle above the opening126. The pressure of this gas builds up very rapidly and checks the flowof water. The amount of filling of the bottle is therefore determined bythe position of the opening 126 and is independent of time. After thefilling has been completed the gas and water valves may be closed andthe bottle snifted and discharged for crowning.

By reason of the fact that submergence of the openingf126 is essentialto filling control, and by reason of the fact that there must be builtup within the neck of the bottle a pressure sufiicient to balance thegravity head of the liquid, a small amount of water necessarily entersthe opening 126 of the counter-pressure tube 125. When a bottle isdischarged this water remains in the tube. As above stated, I have foundthat it is a prolific cause of foaming, and I therefore make provisionfor momentarily opening the valve 119 prior to the supplying of the nextbottle, for by so doing the counter-pressure tube is blown clear ofcontained water. This is important because even a small drop of water,if left in the'counter-pressure tube, will cause a small amount of foam,and

; the presence thereof in the bottle will induce more foaming of theentering water.

The momentary opening of the valve 119 is effected by mechanism bestillustrated in Figures 12 to 14. A bracket 129 is secured to the flange71 of the bonnet 38 alongside each head 52 by cap screws 130. Thebracket 129 carries a post 131 which is bored to receive a compressionspring 132. A sleeve 133 fits over the post 131 and carries a cam roller134. The sleeve 133 is held on the post by a pin 135 extending through aslot in the post. As the machine rotates the roller 134 engages a post136 lying between the syruper 5 and the crowner 6, and this post acts asa cam to force the sleeve 133 inwardly. It will be borne in mind that atthis time there is no bottle in the head with which the particularsleeve 133 is associated.

The sleeve 133 carries an extension 137 from which projects a pin 138.The pin engages a fork 139 on the bottom of a hollow screw 140. Thescrew carries a high pitch thread so that the slight rotation thereofobtained by camming the sleeve 133 inwardly is effective for causing amaterial upward movement of the screw 140. The slide 128 extends throughthe hollow screw 140, and when such slide is in its lowermost position,the stem 120 of the valve 119 is in its low position corresponding to aclosed position of the valve 119, and the arm 127 lies just below it.The corresponding position of the slide 128 is determined by a washer141 backed by a castle nut 142. The washer 141 rests on top of the screw140. When the screw is rotated by the camming action of the post 136,the slide 128 is raised slightly, thus opening the valve 119 a shortdistance. This valve opening is momentary, for as soon as the roller 134passes the post 136 the spring 132 urges it outwardly, thus rotating thescrew 140 in the opposite direction, and lowering the slide 128 and thearm 127. In Figure 13 the lowermost position of the arm 127 is shown indot-and-dash lines, and the amount of lift occasioned by the mechanismjust described will also be clear from this view because the solid linesshow the parts when raised by the camming action of the post 136.

As shown in Figure 14, the slide 128 moves up-- w'ardly freely throughthe screw 140 when the slide 99 is raised to open the valves 119 and 85.

When the valve 119 is momentarily opened by of gas is blown through thecounter-pr ssure tube 125, effectually discharging any resi ual watertherein.

In Figure 15 there is illustrated a modified structure according towhich the mechanism of Figures 12 to 14 inclusive is dispensed with andprovision is made for sealing the counter-pressure tube against theentry of liquid. In Figure 15 parts corresponding to similar parts inthe embodiment of my invention above described have been given the samereference characters with an "a suflixed thereto.

Figure 15 shows a water tube 93a with a counter-pressure tube 125atherein. The water tube carries a cage 143 having therein a ball 144 oflignum vitae or other suitable wood. As the water level rises in thebottle the ball 144 is lifted by flotation against a seat 145 at thebottom of the counter-pressure tube 125a, thus preventing the entry ofany water.

The counter-pressure tube having been cleared or kept clear of water, afresh bottle is supplied and filled in the mannerabove described. Whenthe filling is completed, the bottle holder is lowered so as to cut offthe supply of gas and water; but before removing the bottle from thehead, it is necessary to release the top pressure, as otherwise therewill be danger of foaming. This is done by the snift mechanismillustrated in Figure 8.

The water tube 93 fits inside of a tube 146 whose inside diameter issomewhat larger than the outside diameter of the water tube 93, thusproviding an annular passage through which gas may travel upwardly to anannular chamber 147 within the fitting 96. A passage 148 leads from theannulus 147 to a cross passage 149 leading to a valve seat 150. This isthe snift valve. When the slide 99 is in its lower position the sniftvalve is opened; but when the slide is raised it engages a stem 151 ofthe snift valve. The stem 151 extends into a casing 152 and is therefiared out and recessed to carry a spring 153, the upper end of whichbears against a washer 154. A cap 155 is screwed over the upper end ofthe casing 152 and holds the parts in assembled position. The cap alsobears, at its lower edge, against the upper edge of a guide sleeve 156which is screwed into the shift valve body 157. The casing 152 is freelyslidable in the guide sleeve 156. As the slide 99 is raised it engagesthe stem 151 prior to engaging the arm 127 for the counter-pressurevalve or the stem 88 of the water valve. It raises the shift valveagainst the seat 150 and seals of! the shift passage. Further movementof the sleeve 99 upwardly merely compresses the spring 153 while holdingthe snift valve closed. Consequently, when the counter-pressure valve119 is opened, gaseous pressure builds up within the bottle but cannotescape through the snift valve. After the filling has been completed andthe slide 99 begins to lower, the water valve is first closed, then thecounter-pressure valve is closed, and finally the snift valve is opened.It is desirable to meter or limit the rate at which the top pressure isreleased through the snlft valve, because if it is done too suddenlythere is danger of sudden evolution of gas and consequent foaming of theliquid contents. I therefore lead the gas aiter it passes the shiftvalve through a passage 158 to a rate controller 159. This ratecontroller consists of a slide valve 160 in the casing 157. The slidevalve 160 has an annulus 161 with which the passage 158 communicateswhen the valve is in its lowermost position, as illustrated in Figure 8.A cross passage connects the annulus with a center opening 162 inalinement with a discharge opening 163 in the plug 164 which closes thebottom of the opening containing the last controlling valve 160. Theopening 163 has a restricted orifice so that when gas rushes through itbuilds up pressure within the space 165 below the slide valve 160 andtends to raise the same and cut off the annulus 161 from the passage158. This provides a momentary check for the fiow of gas through theshift valve. As soon as the flow is cut of! the pressure at 165 isdissipated through the orifice of the passage 163 and the slide valve160 again drops to re-establish the communication between the annulus161 and the passage 158. This operation is repeated until the pressurehas been reduced.

It will be noted from Figure 8 that the cross passage 149 is extended tothe right ofthe passage 148 to a point below a ball valve 166. The ballvalve lies in a chamber 167 having communication through a passage 168to the opening 91. This passage is provided so as to permit of freedraining of the water tube after the valve 85 has been closed so thatthe contents of such tube will go into the bottle then being filled. Itwill be borne in mind that flow continues until the gaseous pressure inthe top of the bottle balances the gravity head of the liquid. At thismoment fiow will cease, although the valve 85 remains open. The built-uppressure balances the column of water extending up through the watertube 93 andbeyond the valve 85.

When the valve 85 is closed it is necessary to allow gas to enter at thetop of the water column in the tube 93, for otherwise it would not flowdown The purpose of the ball check 166 is to give a dry snift. At themoment of snifting the water column will be standing in the water tube93. If there were no check valve present there would be danger of waterbeing blown through the passage 168 into the snift tube for the reasonthat the pressure above the liquid in the bottle is exerted at the baseof the water column while the gaseous pressure tends to pass oil throughthe annulus between the tubes 93 and 146 and through the passage 148.The gas passage is relatively restricted, and the frictional resistanceoilered to the fiow of gas may be less than the resistance to the fiowof liquid through the pas sage 168. The ball check 166 overcomes thisdifficulty.

The length of time required for snifting bottles of different sizes doesnot vary greatly, Ho ever, since the rate of fiow of liquid into thebottle is determined by the gravity head, which head remains constant,it takes materially longer to fill a quart bottle than a half-pintbottle. It is therefore necessary to slow down the machine by adjustingthe variable speed transmission 24, when large bottles are to be filled.Referring to Figure 1, however, it will be noted that a large portion ofthe periphery of the machine is occupied by the travel ofthe bottles intheir lowered position prior to discharge. This distance is necessary atthe high speeds employed for filling splits, in order to get sufllcientshifting time. However, if the machine is operating at a lower speed theshifting time can be obtained in fewer degrees of revolution. Ithereforeprovide a series of openings 169 in the base 2 for the screws68,

' so that thev cam plate 67 may be adjusted to different positionsaround the periphery. This gives more'filling time and permits of inased capacity.

I have illustrated and described present preferred embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood, however, that it is not limited to theforms shown but may be otherwise embodied or practiced within the scopeof the following claims.

I claim:

1. A filling machine comprising a filling head having a counter-pressuretube arranged to extend into a container, means for supplyingcounter-pressure therethrough, and means for expelling foam or waterfrom the tube after removal from the container prior to the time ofinsertion of the said tube into another container.

2. A filling machine comprising a filling head' for, a valve forestablishing a connection between the pressure source and thecounter-pressure tube, and means for opening the valve prior to theinsertion of the counter-pressure tube into the container.

4. A filling machine comprising a head movable in a path, the headhaving a counter-pressure tube arranged to extend into a container,means for supplying containers to the head at a point in the path, meansfor taking off the containers at another point, a source of pressure, a

valve eflective for establishing a connectionbetween the source ofpressure and the counterpressure tube, and'means for actuating the valveduring the time between which a container is taken oil from the head anda fresh container is supplied.

5. A filling machine comprising a filling head having a counter-pressuretube adapted to extend into a container, 'a source of pressure, a valveeflective for establishing a connection between such pressure source andthe counterpressure tube, the head having means for actuating the valveafter a container has been supplied thereto, and additional means foractuating the valve prior to the supplying of another container to suchhead.

6. A filling machine comprising a head movable in an orbital path, thehead having a counterpressure tube and a valve for establishing agaseous connection to such tube, means for feeding containers to thehead, means for taking off filled containers, and means for actuatingthe valve between the time of taking off a container from the head andfeeding a container thereto.

'7. A filling machine comprising a head movable in an orbital path, thehead having a counter-pressure tube, a valve therefor and liftable meanson the head for actuating the valve, and supplemental means foractuating the valve at a time when it is free of a container.

8. A filling machine comprising a filling head having a counter-pressuretube, a. valve therefor, a member engaging the valve, means forimparting motion to such member in order to .open the valve, and meansmovable on actuation of the filling head for engaging such member andopening the valve.

9. A filling head comprising a counter-pressure tube, a water tube, asnift tube, a snift valve closable for the filling operation andopenable when the filling is terminated, and means automatically movableto position for limiting the rate of release of the accumulated pressurethrough the snift tube upon opening of the shift valve.

10. A filling head comprising a counter-pressure tube, a water tube, asnift tube, a snift valve closable for the filling operation andopenable when the filling is terminated, and means beyond the sniftvalve for checking the escape of pressure therethrough, said checkingmeans being operable in response to increase in pressure beyond thesnift tube to check such escape of pressure.

11. A filling head comprising a counter-pressure tube, a water tube, asnift tube, a snift valve closable for the filling operation andopenable when the filling is terminated, and a chatter valve beyond thesnift valve for limiting the rate of release of accumulated pressure.

12. A filling head comprising a counter-pressure tube, a water tube, asnift'tube, a connection between the snift tube and the water tube, andcheck means therein for preventing passage of water from the water tubeto the snift tube.

13. A filling machine comprising a filling head movable in an orbitalpath, the filling head having a counter-pressure tube, a water tube anda snift tube, a valve for controlling the snift tube, the

. valve being adapted to be in closed position during the fillingoperation and to be opened after the filling operation, and cam meanseffective for controlling the opening of the snift valve, the cam meansbeing adjustable to diflerent positions along the orbital path.

14. A filling machine comprising a filling head movable in an orbitalpath, the filling head having a counter-pressure tube, a water tube anda snift tube, valve mechanism for controlling the counter-pressure tube,the water tube and the shift tube, said valve mechanism being adapted toobturate the snift tube during the filling operation and to open thesame after the filling operation, means adjustable to different pointsin the travel of the head in its orbit for efiecting operation of saidvalve mechanism to terminate the filling operation and effect openingofthe snift tube, and a variable speed drive for moving the head in suchpath. 1

15. A filling machine comprising a head movable in an orbital path,the'head having counterpressure means, filling means and snift means,and valves controlling the several means, the head having a portionadapted for raising and lowering to actuate such valves, an elevatingcam and a lowering cam adjustable to different positions.

16. A filling machine comprising a head movable in an orbital path, thehead having counterpressure means, filling means and snift means, andvalves controlling the several means, the head having a portion adaptedto be engaged by a container and raised or lowered, the valves being sopositioned as to be actuated upon such raising or lowering, a holder forthe container, an elevating cam for raising the holder, and a loweringcam adjustable to difierent positions.

17. A filling machine comprising a head movable in an orbital path, thehead having counterpressure means, filling means and shift means, andvalves controlling the several means, the head having a portion adaptedto be engaged by a container and raised or lowered, the valves being sopositioned as to be actuated upon such raising or lowering, a holder forthe container, an elevating cam for raising the holder, and meansadjustable to different positions along such path for effecting loweringof the holder.

18. A filling machine comprising a head movable in an orbital path, cammeans adjustable to di'flerent positions in the travel of the head inits orbit for elevating and lowering the head, the head havingcounter-pressure means, filling means and snift means, and valvemechanism controlled by the elevating and lowering of the head foropening and closing the counter-pressure means and filling means so asto deliver a predetermined quantity of fluid and for opening the sniftmeans after the filling operation.

19. A filling machine comprising a filling head having acounter-pressure tube arranged to extend into a container, means forsupplying counter-pressure therethrough, and means for admittingpressure momentarily to the tube before insertion thereof into thecontainer.

20. A filling machine comprising a filling head having a compartmenttherein in which water and gas under pressure may be contained, a tubeextending from the filling head into a container, said tubecommunicating with the gas space of said compartment, means forsupplying a small amount of gas under pressure through-the tube into thecontainer, and means for continuing the supply of gas to the containerwhen the firstmentioned means is shut off.

LOUIS DE MARKUS.

